A process for the processing of a silver halide color photographic material which comprises the use of a high silver chloride content emulsion for the purpose of reducing the processing time and inhibiting environmental pollution is described in WO87/04534 and JP-A-61-70552 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,676: the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application"). The use of a high silver chloride content emulsion can reduce the processing time, but this approach is disadvantageous in that it causes greater fluctuations of the maximum density with the change in the pH value of the color developer or the change in the concentration of the developing agent.
Sulfites or bisulfites which have heretofore been used as preservatives affect the color density, and the preservative content is therefore preferably minimized. However, if the sulfite or bisulfite content is reduced, a tar which is an oxidation product of a color developing agent is readily formed to thereby undesirably contaminate the light-sensitive material or processing machine. Furthermore, a precipitate derived from the developing agent is readily formed at the interface of the processing solution with air in the processing tank, to thereby cause contamination or flaws. Thus, it has been keenly desired to solve these problems.
Moreover, benzyl alcohol, which has heretofore been used as a color development accelerator, is preferably not used from the standpoint of environmental concerns as discussed in W087/04534. However, if benzyl alcohol is not included in the color developer, another problem arises in that the developing agent precipitates with time at low temperatures during the winter. It has also been keenly desired to solve these problems.
On the other hand, an approach which comprises incorporating various surface active agents in the color developer is described in JP-A-62-234161 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,169) and JP-A-62-42155. However, the surface active agents used in these publications cannot sufficiently accomplish the objects of the present invention. The latter publication is silent with respect to the problems solved by the present invention. Research Disclosure No. 16986 discloses an approach which comprises incorporating a nonionic surface active agent in the color developer to accelerate the washing of sensitizing dyes, to thereby reduce residual color. However, there is no reference to the problems solved by the present invention. Furthermore, this approach does not provide sufficient effects in the system (a color developer) of the present invention.
JP-A-3-223757 (E.P. 436,947A) and JP-A-3-240054 disclose an approach which comprises incorporating an anionic surface active agent and a nonionic surface active agent in a color developer containing a small amount of sulfite ions, to thereby inhibit the contamination caused by processing. However, this approach exerts a reduced effect and aggravates precipitation of the developing agent at low temperatures. Thus, this approach also leaves much to be desired.